Bag closing device



w. E. PALMER ET AL 2,884,749

May 5, 1959 BAG CLOSING DEVICE 4 SheetsSheet 1 Filed June 10, 1955 Mam WAM WA H l T W m? lR M53 H H 4 z m m 4 o o 6 O 0 T K\ o v 0 0 4| 1 H v w W U a O H. M W

Arrokwb'y M y 5, 1959 w. E. PALMER ETA'L 2,884,749

BAG CLOSING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 10, 1955 m v v MMH f M w w w a My; M l I o o m a Z. mm. m L. Q M y a 4 O M 6 A w W a w a w "w o 0. .Muho m w 6. 7 4 4 3 7 :w 0 \M a. 3 K. at 5 l 6 s d 2 2 MI M y 5, 1959 w. E. PALMER ETAL 2,884,749

BAG CLOSING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 10, 1955 INVENTORSQ WILLIAM E: PAZMER l/[REE'RT 8. K52! ER ATTORNEY May 5, 1959 w. E. PALMER ETAL BAG CLOSING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 10, 1955 [WILLIAM E. PAZMER l/EREERT 8. KEllER INVENTORS ATTORNEY United States Patent BAG CLOSING DEVICE William E. Palmer and Herbert B. Keller, Chicago, Ill.,

assignors to Swift & Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application June 10, 1955', Serial No. 514,526 14 Claims. (Cl. 53-138) The present invention relates to an apparatus for fastening a bag tightly about product in the bag by gathering the mouth of the bag, tensioning the mouth of the bag while applying pressure against the product in the bag and applying a clip to the gathered neck of the bag immediately adjacent the product. The term bag is used broadly to include flexible containers closed at one end without regard to the exact method by which such a container was produced.

In many instances, particularly in the field of transparent packaging, it is desirable to have the bag fit tightly about the product in the container. With a particulate product or a product that may be sufiiciently plastic to have some flow or shapable characteristics, this can be done by gathering the mouth of the bag and pulling the neck of the bag against an abutment through which the gathered neck of the bag is passed. The abutment applies pressure to the product in the bag to compact it as the neck of the bag is pulled through the opening in the abutment. It is desirable to fasten the neck of the bag as closely as possible to the product to keep the bag tightly about the product. The principal object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus by which this operation may be quickly and easily performed.

A particular advantage of the invention is that it permits the application of anything from a small amount of pressure to a very substantial pressure to the product in the bag in the carrying out of this process, with the operator adjusting the pressure depending upon the dictates of the particular product in the bag. For example, in the packaging of hams the characteristics of each ham will be different, the temperature of the ham may vary, all of which may require that with some hams more pressure be applied than with others. This may be gauged by the operator as each ham is packaged and sufiicient pressure used to mold the ham tightly within the bag.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a machine that is relatively simple both to manufacture and operate. The advantages from the carrying out of this object include the low capital investment permitting the acquisition and use of these machines by business Whose volume of operation or other factors would prevent them from having complicated expensive machines. The operators using the machines need no special training. A relatively short demonstration will enable an inexperienced operator to become proficient in the fastening of bags tightly about the product. The machines are easily portable, whereby they may be moved from place to place as the dictates of the various operations require. These operations can be carried out by a single operator.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine wherein a metal fastener is securely applied to the gathered neck of the bag immediately adjacent the product in the bag. his insures that the bag retains its tightly drawn shape about the product.

ice

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an isometric view of an embodiment of the machine;

Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the fastener used to secure the neck of the bag and the jaws of the clipper that applies the fastener;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of a portion of the machine preparatory to loading;

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the same portion of the machine with the parts moved to the position that occurs after the fastener has been applied to the bag;

Figure 5 is an isometric view of the tensioning mechanism of the machine;

Figure 6 is a section through the mechanism showing the fasteners in position thereon;

Figure 7 is an elevation of the slide and clipper;

Figure 8 is an isometric view of a portion of the machine after the fastener has been applied to the bag, which is shown thereon; and

Figure 9 is an elevation of an embodiment with an alternative form of tensioning structure.

The embodiment illustrated and described was devised for packing cooked ham in artificial casings. The casing generally is a tube, one end of which is first gathered and closed by a fastener thus forming a bag from the tube.

The machine comprises a frame gene-rally 10 which includes a base 11 and a pedestal 12. At the top of the pedestal 12 a channel 13 is secured with an abutment generally 14 fixed to the channel. The abutment 14 comprises a fixed plate 16 and a slide or sliding plate 17 movable in ways in the fixed plate. An opening is formed in abutment 14 by a V-shaped notch 18 in plate 16 and a diamond-shaped opening 19 in slide 17. The sides of this opening in abutment 14 are used to gather the neck of the bag preparatory to tensioning the neck and applying the fastener. The bottom of notch 18 is rounded and beveled as seen at 20 to receive the gathered neck of the bag and to permit it to be tensioned. Slide 17 has a raised portion 21 to fill out the pressure face of the abutment and to complete the rounded and beveled notch 20 after the neck of the bag has been gathered.

A clipper generally 23 is mounted within the slide 17 of abutment 14 and comprises a pair of levers 24 and 25 pivotally mounted on pin 26 and having a pair of fastener jaws 27 and '28, respectively. Referring to Figure 2, it will be seen that the fasteners 29 used are flat U-shaped strips having cupped ends 30 which fit over the ends of jaws 2'7 and 28. An actuating lever 33 pivotally pinned to lever 25 and connected to lever 24 by a link 34 forms a toggle arrangement for applying leverage to the jaws of the clipper 23. A spring 35 connecting the ends of levers 24 and 25 is used to facilitate the opening of the clipper after a fastener has been applied.

A foot pedal 38 is used to move slide 17 for the gathering of the end of the bag and is attached to the bottom end of the slide by connecting rod 39. A pair of springs 40 in holders 41 forming a part of frame 10 (see Figure I) bear against the bottom end of slide 17 to urge the slide upwardly. A latch 42 pivotally attached to the top of abutment 14 may be turned to hold the slide 17 in the depressed position after the slide has been moved to that position by foot pedal 38.

A magazine generally 45 is used to supply the fasteners 29 to the clipper 23 and comprises an L-shaped guide 46 pivotally attached to an upright portion 47 of frame 10 by a pair of links 48 and 49. The guide 46 is shaped to receive the fasteners 29 with the cupped ends 30 behind the enlarged end of the guide to prevent the fasteners from falling away from the guide (see Figure 6). The fasteners are slipped onto the guide at the upper end of the guide. A bar 51 connects links 48 and 49 intermediate the ends thereof and has a pair of links 52 and 53 pivotally attached to each other and to the lower end of the bar 51 (see Figures 3 and 4). Link 53 is also pivotally attached to a bracket 50 extending rearwardly from slide 17. The mounting means just described for magazine 45 causes the lower end 54 of magazine 45 to move in response to the movement of slide 17. When the slide moves to the raised position as illustrated in Figure 3, lower end 54 moves up between jaws 27 and 28 to insert a fastener 29 then resting at the lower end of the magazine between the jaws. At the lower end of the guide 46 the enlarged head 55 thereof (seen in Figure 6) is cut away at 56 to allow the fastener 29 to be slipped from the guide (see Figure 4). As the slide is lowered the mounting means for the magazine pivots the magazine downwardly and to the rear to move the magazine out of the way of the descending slide. As the magazine moves away the fastener that was at the lower end 54 of the magazine is retained by the clipper with the jaws of the clipper 27 and 28 being fitted into the cupped ends 30 of the fasteners 29 as seen in Figure 2. When the slide is all the way down the magazine is positioned as seen in Figure 4.

To adjust the clipper so that it will retain the fasteners 29 as the magazine moves away from the slide while still permitting the fasteners to he slipped into the jaws when the magazine returns to the position of Figure 3, the width of opening the jaws is adjusted by a pair of set screws 58 and 59 threaded into bores 60 and 61, respectively, in slide 17 (see Figure 7). The ends of set screws 58 and 59 restrict the movement of levers 24 and 25 in response to the urging of spring 35. These are adjusted sufficiently far apart so that the magazine 45 will spring the fasteners 29 between the jaws 27 and 28 and yet will hold the fasteners in that position as the magazine 45 moves away from the jaws toward the position shown in Figure 4.

The tensioning means generally 64 is best seen in Figures and 8 and is employed for drawing the end of the bag through the opening in the abutment 14 and applying pressure to the product in the bag against that abutment. The tensioning means comprises a pair of shafts 65 and 66, which have mating, adjacent, faces as seen at 67 to engage the end of the bag. Shaft 66 is journaled in a bearing block 68 forming a part of frame 10. Shaft 65 is journaled in a cam block 69 which also is a part of frame and forms a bearing for shaft 65. A crank 71 attached to the end of the shaft 65 provides a means for turning that shaft with shaft 66 turning at the same time as a result of the engagement of the bag at the mating faces 67.

One end of cam block 69 forms a cam surface 72 which is broken by slot 73 along the top of block 69. The intersection of the cam surface 72 and the slot 73 is angular as seen at 74. A roller 75 attached to shaft 65 cooperates with cam surface 72 to press the mating faces 67 of shafts 65 and 66 together. The roller 75 is sufiiciently small so that it will pass along slot 73 in cam block 69 when a filler block 76 that fits into the end of slot 73 is not in place. Filler block 76 is connected to an arm 77 attached to slide 17 so that when the slide is in the lowered position the filler block 76 obstructs slot 73 as seen in Figure 5. When the slide is in the raised position, Figure 3, the slot 73 is unobstructed.

Shaft 66 is held in place by a pair of collars 80 and 81 with a plurality of washers 82 and a rubber disc 83 permits shaft 66 to be moved longitudinally while resiliently urging the shaft 66 toward shaft 65. Washers 82 prevent undue abrasion of the rubber disc 83.

Before commencing operation the machine is in the position seen in Figures 1 and 3. A plurality of fasteners 29 are slipped down over the top of guide 46 of magazine If a fastener 29 is not already between the jaws of the clipper 23, one can be inserted by hand or by depressing foot pedal 38 and allowing it to move back upwardly under the urging of springs 40, whereupon the fastener that is at the bottom end 54 of the magazine 45 will be inserted between the jaws of the clipper 23. With the slide 17 in the raised position, slot 73 is unobstructed so that shaft 65 may be slid away from shaft 66 to open up the mating faces of the two shafts. The operator then takes a bag 85 into which product has been inserted and lays it on the tray 86 forming a part of frame 10 and serving as a support for the bag and product.

The unfastened end 87 of bag 85 is threaded through the opening in the abutment 14 and positioned between the mating faces of shafts 65 and 66. The operator then presses shaft 65 toward shaft 66 sufficiently to get roller at least out on the beveled edges 74 of slot 73, whereupon a slight turn of the crank 71 will move the roller out onto cam face 72 of block 69. Variations in the thickness of the bag between the mating faces 67 of the two shafts is compensated by compression of rubber disc 83 about shaft 66. Thus the end of the bag is securely caught between the mating faces of the two shafts 65 and 66.

The foot pedal is depressed to close the opening in abutment 14 with the sides of the V-shaped notch 18 and the diamond-shaped opening 19 gathering the neck of the bag. When the foot pedal 38 is completely depressed the neck of the bag is in the rounded and beveled end 20 of the opening. If it is not desired to hold the slide down with foot pedal 38, latch 42 can be rotated to hold the slide in the depressed position. The movement of the slide downwardly moved magazine 45 back out of the way as previously described. It also inserted filler 76 into slot 73 in cam block 69.

Crank 71 is rotated to wind the neck 87 of the bag about the two shafts and to draw the neck of the bag through the opening in abutment 14. The product in the bag is pressed against abutment 14 and when the product in the bag has been compacted to the desired extent and the bag firmly drawn about the product, actuating lever 33 of clipper 23 is pushed downwardly to close the jaws 27 and 28 of the clipper and to bind the fastener 29 about the neck of the bag. It will be seen that the clipper is so positioned that the fastener is put on the neck of the bag immediately adjacent the product in the bag. Latch 42 is then released, actuating lever 33 raised to open the jaws of clipper 23, and the foot pedal released. Crank 71 may be rotated until roller 75 is again aligned with slot 73 to permit the roller to slide back into the slot. The neck of the bag is then free from shafts 65 and 66 and the bag with the product therein may be removed from the machine. The excess material at the neck of the bag beyond fastener 29 may be cut off. When the slide 17 was raised magazine 45 again inserted a fastener 29 between the jaws of clipper 23 as previously described.

Figure 9 illustrates an alternative form of tensioning means generally 90 for drawing the neck 87 of the bag 85 through the abutment 14. In this embodiment a pair of fluid cylinders 91 and 92 are mounted on frame 10. A gear segment 93 is attached to the piston rod 94 of fluid cylinder 91 by means of a pin 95 with a mating gear segment 97 being attached to piston rod 98 of fluid cylinder 92 by a pin 99. Springs 100 and 101 mounted on pins 95 and 99, respectively, urge gear segments 93 and 97 into engagement with each other, spring 100 urging gear segment 93 in a clockwise direction as seen in Figure 9 and spring 101 urging gear segment 97 in a counterclockwise direction.

The operation of this embodiment corresponds to that previously described except that the neck 87 of the bag 85 is inserted between the mating teeth of the gear segments 93 and 97. Fluid is then applied to cylinders 91 and 92 by a suitable control (not shown) to move piston rods 94 and 98 toward each other. 'The neck 87- ofthe bag is engaged between the teeth of the'gear segments and the movement of the gear, segments to the right in Figure 9 draws theneck 87 through the opening in abutment 14 to apply pressure on the product in the bag 85 against abutment 14. After the pressure has been applied to the desired extent the clipper 2 3 is operated to apply the fastener to the neck of the bag.

The foregoing description of a specific embodiment is for the purpose of compliance with 35 U.S.C. 112, and we do not desire to be limited to the exact details shown and described, for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

We claim:

1. A device for fastening a bagtightly about product in the bag, said device comprisingan abutment having a pressure face and an opening through which the unclosed end of the bag may be passed, means to gather said end, tensioning means at the opposite side of said abutment from said face to engage said end and todraw said end through said opening .while the abutment restrains the portion of the bag containing the product, and

a clipper positioned immediately adjacent said face in alignment with said opening to position a metal fastener about said gathered end of said bag and to secure said metal fastener about the gathered end of said bag.

2. A device for fastening a bag tightly about product in the bag, said device comprising an abutment having a pressure face and an opening through which the unclosed end of the bag may be passed, means to gather said end, tensioning means at the opposite side of said abutment from said face to engage said end and to draw said end through said opening while the abutmentrestrains the portion of the bag containing the product, and a clipper positioned immediately adj cent said face in alignment' with said opening to position a metal fastener about said gathered end of said bag and to secure said metal fastener about the gathered end of said bag, said clipper including a pair of tongs having jaws shapedto clinch said fastener.

3. A device for fastening a bag tightly aboutproduct in the bag, said device comprising an abutment having a pressure face and an open-ingthrough which theunclosed end of the bag may be passed, means to gather said end, tensioning means at the opposite side of said abutment from said face to engage said end and to draw said end through said opening while the abutment restrains the portion of the bag containing the product, a clipper positioned immediately adjacent said'face .in alignment with said opening to position a metal fastenerabont said gathered end of said bag and to secure said metal fastener about the gathered end of said bag, said clipper including a pair of tongs having jaws shaped to clinch said fastener, and means to sequentially feed fasteners to said jaws.

4. A device for fastening a bag tightly about product in the bag, said device comprising an abutment including a slide, said abutment having a pressure face and an opening through which the unclosed end of thebag may be passed, said slide being movable from a first position at which said opening is relatively large to a second position at which said opening is relatively small, tensioning means at the opposite side of said abutment from said face to engage said end and to draw said end through said opening while the abutment restrains the portion of the bag containing the product, and a clipper positioned immediately adjacent said face in alignment with said opening to position a metal fastener about said gatheredend of said bag and to secure said metal fastener about the gathered end of said bag.

5. A device for fastening a bag tightly about product in the bag, said device comprising an abutment including a slide, said abutment having a pressure face and an opening through which the unclosed end of the bag may be passed, said slide being movable from a first position at which said opening is relatively large to a second posi- .tion at which said opening is relatively small, tensioning means at; the opposite side of said abutment from said gathered end of said bag, and feeding means operatively connected to said slide to supply a fastener to said clipper when said slide is in said first position.

6. A device for fastening a bag tightly about product in the bag, said device comprising an abutment including a slide, said abutment having a pressure face and an opening through which the unclosed end of the bag may be passed, said slide being movable from a first position at which said opening is relatively large to a second position at which said opening is relatively small, tensioning means at the opposite sideof said abutment from said face to engage said end and to draw said end through said opening while the abutment restrains the portion of the bag containing the product, a clipper positioned immediately adjacent said face in alignment with said opening to position a metal fastener about said gathered end :of said bag and to secure said metal fastener about the gathered end of said bag, said clipper including a pair of tongs having jaws shaped to clinch said fastener, and

feeding means operatively connected to said slide to supply a fastener to said clipper when said slide is in said first position.

7. A device for fastening a bag tightly about product in the bag, said device comprising an abutment including a slide, said abutment having a pressure face and an opening through which the unclosed end of the bag may be passed, said slide being movable from a first position at which said opening is relatively large to a second position at which said opening is relatively small, tensioning means at the opposite side of said abutment from said face to engage said end and to draw said end through said opening while the abutment restrains the portion of the bag containing the product, a clipper positioned immediately adjacent said face in alignment with said opening to secure a metal fastener about the gathered end of said bag, said clipper including a pair of tongs having jaws shaped to clinch said fastener, a magazine mounted for movement from a first position at which the feeding end of the magazine is between said jaws to a second position at which said end is displaced from said jaws, and a linkage connecting said magazine and said slide to move said magazine to said first position when said slide is moved to said first position and to move said magazine to said second position when said slide is moved to said second position.

8. A device for fastening a bag tightly about product in the bag, said device comprising an abutment having a pressure face and an opening through which the unclosed end of the bag may be passed, means to gather said end, a pair of shafts having mating faces positioned at the opposite side of said abutment from said face, a first of said shafts being movable axially with respect to the other of said shafts, cam means and resilient means to urge said mating faces together to engage an end of the bag, means to rotate the shafts after the end of the bag has been engaged to wind the bag about the shafts, and a clipper positioned immediately adjacent said face in alignment with said opening to secure a metal fastener about the gathered end of said bag.

9. A device for fastening a bag tightly about product in the bag, said device comprising an abutment having a pressure face and an opening through which the un closed end of the bag may be passed, means to gather said end, a pair of shafts having mating faces positioned at the opposite side of said abutment from said face, a first of said shafts being movable axially with respect to the other of said shafts, a roller on said first shaft, a

cam surface about said first shaft and positioned to cooperate with said roller to hold said first shaft toward said second shaft to secure an end of a bag between said mating faces, resilient means associated with one of said shafts to urge said one shaft toward the opposed shaft whereby the thickness of bag material between said mating faces is not critical, means to rotate the shafts after the end of the bag has been engaged to wind the bag about the shafts, and a clipper positioned immediately adjacent said face in alignment with said opening to secure a metal fastener about the gathered end of said bag.

10. A device for fastening a bag tightly about product in the bag, said device comprising an abutment including a slide, said abutment having a pressure face and an opening through which the unclosed end of the bag may be passed, said slide being movable from a first position at which said opening is relatively large to a second position at which said opening is relatively small, a pair of shafts having mating faces positioned at the oposite side of said abutment from said face, a roller on a first of said shafts, a cam block in which said first shaft is journaled and having a cam surface to cooperate with said roller to hold said first shaft from moving away from the other shaft, said block and surface having a slot longitudinally with respect to said shafts whereby said first shaft may be moved away from said second shaft when said roller is aligned with said slot, a filler operatively connected to said slide to obstruct said slot when said slide is moved from said first to said second posii tion and to complete said cam surface about said first shaft, resilient means associated with one of said shafts to urge said one shaft toward the opposed shaft whereby the thickness of bag material between said mating faces is not critical, means to rotate the shaft after the end of the bag has been engaged to wind the bag about the shafts, and a clipper positioned immediately adjacent said face in alignment with said opening to secure a metal fastener about the gathered end of said bag.

11. A device for fastening a bag tightly about product in the bag, said device comprising an abutment including a slide, said abutment having a pressure face and an opening through which the unclosed end of the bag may be passed, said slide being movable from a first position at which said opening is relatively large to a second position at which said opening is relatively small, a pair of shafts having mating faces positioned at the opposite side of said abutment from said face, a roller on a first of said shafts, a cam block in which said first v shaft is journaled and having a cam surface to cooperate with said roller to hold said first shaft from moving away from the other shaft, said block and surface having a slot longitudinally with respect to said shafts whereby said first shaft may be moved away from said second shaft when said roller is aligned with said slot, a filler i operatively connected to said slide to obstruct said slot when said slide is moved from said first to said second position and to complete said cam surface about said first shaft, resilient means associated with one of said shafts to urge said one shaft toward the opposed shaft whereby the thickness of bag material between said mating faces is not critical, means to rotate the shaft after the end of the bag has been engaged to wind the bag about the shafts, a clipper positioned immediately adjacent said face in alignment with said opening to secure a metal fastener about the gathered end of said bag, said clipper including a pair of tongs having jaws shaped to clinch said fastener, a magazine mounted for movement from a first position at which the feeding end of the magazine is between said jaws to a second position at which said end is displaced from said jaws, and a linkage connecting said magazine and said slide to move said magazine to said first position when said slide is moved to said first position and to move said magazine to said second position when said slide is moved to said second position.

12. A device for applying a fastener to a gathered neck of a bag and for use with a gathering member movable from a first position at which the neck may be inserted into said member and a second position at which said neck is gathered, said device comprising a clipper including a pair of tongs having jaws shaped to clinch said fastener, a magazine mounted for movement from a first position at which the feeding end of the magazine is between said jaws to a second position at which said end is displaced from said jaws, and a linkage connecting said magazine and said member to move said magazine to said first position when said member is moved to said first position and to move said magazine to said second position when said member is moved to said second position.

. 13. A device for tensioning a bag against an abutment with a pressure face and having a gathering member movable from a first position at which the neck may be inserted into said member and a second position at which said neck is gathered, said device comprising a pair of shafts having mating faces positioned at the opposite side of said abutment from said face, a roller on a first of said shafts, a cam block in which said first shaft is journaled and having a cam surface to cooperate with said roller to hold said first shaft from moving away from the other shaft, said block and surface having a slot longitudinally with respect to said shafts whereby said first shaft may be moved away from said second shaft when said roller is aligned with said slot, a filler operatively connected to said member to obstruct said slot when said member is moved from said first to second position and to complete said cam surface about said first shaft, resilient means associated with one of said shafts to urge said one shaft toward the opposed shaft whereby the thickness of bag material between said mating faces is not critical, and means to rotate the shaft after the end of the bag has been engaged to wind the bag about the shafts.

14. A device for fastening a bag tightly about product in the bag, said device comprising an abutment having a pressure face and an opening through which the unclosed end of the bag may be passed, the sides of said opening being movable inwardly to close said opening and gather the ends of said bag, tensioning means at the opposite side of said abutment from said face to engage said end and to draw said end through said opening while the abutment restrains the portion of the bag containing the product, and a clipper positioned immediately adjacent said face in alignment with said opening to position a metal fastener about said gathered end of said bag and to secure said metal fastener about the gathered end of said bag.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,635,035 Dickinson July 5, 1927 1,673,683 Ingram June 12, 1928 2,670,524 Frank Mar. 2, 1954 2,677,487 Friedman May 4, 1954 2,733,564 Russell et al. Feb. 7, 1956 

